Evidence of storm still visible across town

Annette and Bob Intrieri's bedroom in their home on Valley Wood Road was destroyed when a tree landed in the room during the storm. The tree has since been cut up, and construction has been started.

Annette and Bob Intrieri's bedroom in their home on Valley Wood Road was destroyed when a tree landed in the room during the storm. The tree has since been cut up, and construction has been started.

Photo: Helen Neafsey

Photo: Helen Neafsey

Image
1of/5

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 5

Annette and Bob Intrieri's bedroom in their home on Valley Wood Road was destroyed when a tree landed in the room during the storm. The tree has since been cut up, and construction has been started.

Annette and Bob Intrieri's bedroom in their home on Valley Wood Road was destroyed when a tree landed in the room during the storm. The tree has since been cut up, and construction has been started.

Photo: Helen Neafsey

Evidence of storm still visible across town

1 / 5

Back to Gallery

Annette and Bob Intrieri stood at the foot of their driveway on Valleywood Road Wednesday afternoon, as car after car slowed down to gape at another casualty of Saturday's massive storm -- the couple's bedroom.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday, the Intrieris left for dinner. About 45 minutes later, an enormous oak tree came crashing down on a corner of the Cos Cob home they've shared for 38 years. Their bed dangled from the second floor, while part of the tree lay in the doorway.

"It was a disaster inside," Annette said. "We couldn't believe how it looked."

Over the past few days, the Intrieris, who will be married 50 years in June, watched as rain continued to pour in and damage the knick-knacks they've collected over the years and stored in the attic. Annette still hadn't looked in her closet, which houses all her clothes, and her wedding gown.

But while workers set about repairing the damage, the couple explained they're looking on the bright side.

"You can't cry about it," Annette said. "We're just fortunate that we were not home."

The pair have been staying with their son in Fairfield,

returning each day as work goes on and they wait to find out how much it will cost to repair the damage. Their neighbors have been compassionate, with one across the street leaving out a pair of lawn chairs each day so the Intrieris, both 73, can sit.

As the town continued its slow recovery, the bucket trucks of power companies from as far away as Canada lined some streets, but evidence of the storm was everywhere.

In northern Greenwich, the streets were obstacle courses of trees, some of which had been cut so cars could drive between the pieces.

As mail carrier Joe Rebholz made it through his route off Round Hill Road, he noted his luck that he has been able to get to all his customers.

"Some of these guys are bringing half their route back," said Rebholz, a carrier for 23 years. "They can't get to everyone in one day. You do the best you can, but you can't jump over these things."

William Sandberg got power back to his Lockwood Road home Monday evening, but his basement had already flooded with water because the sump pump didn't work.

Sandberg, 63, said he appreciated some of the benevolence he witnessed throughout the town. A nearby church offered a hot meal Monday night. Since Sandberg's gym, Fitness Edge on East Putnam Avenue, was also dark, he called Sportsplex on Brownhouse Road in Stamford, where he used to be a member, to ask if his wife could use their hair dryer. They told him to come on over.

"It's interesting how people react in these situations," he said.

As reports came through Wednesday afternoon of electricity returning to some parts of town, many people continued to express frustration that Connecticut Light & Power was not working quickly enough.

The complaints prompted 11-year-old Erin Curtis, whose Riverside home was still without power Wednesday, to write a letter to the editor wondering why some people don't realize how lucky they are to even have access to computers and video games.

"In Haiti there was an earthquake, and they don't have any heat or TVs," said Erin, a fifth-grader at Riverside School. "(We) had power out, it's going to be five days. ... Some board games and a candlelit dinner isn't so bad."

The Intrieris were also counting their blessings, but said they don't begrudge their fellow storm survivors some grumbling about going days without power.

"If that was the situation for us," Annette said. "We'd be complaining."

Staff Writer Lisa Chamoff can be reached at lisa.chamoff@scni.com or 203-625-4439.